Chapter 29 Why are you staring at his mouth...?
Wen Zhi and Xiao Tang, whom she was holding hands with, both frowned, revealing similar expressions of worry.
No wonder Song Juelan's right hand didn't move much during class; it turned out it was too painful to move.
"You're so badly injured, why didn't you take leave?" Wen Zhi asked, somewhat puzzled.
Song Juelan looked up and said simply, "Xiao Tang's class can't be missed."
If he missed today's class, he wouldn't see Wen Zhi for three whole days, so he never even considered asking for leave.
Zhu Zhenghao, fearing he would be seen as a heartless boss who exploits his employees, quickly explained, "He goes back to rest after class and doesn't need to come to work for the next two days."
Wen Zhi still didn't quite understand what was so important about a class, and just assumed that Song Juelan didn't want to have his salary docked.
Remembering something, he asked again, "Your right hand is injured, will it make it inconvenient for you to do things? Is there someone at home to take care of you?"
"He lives alone. He came to the swimming pool very late today because he couldn't lift his arms and couldn't even put his clothes on properly," Zhu Zhenghao exaggerated from the side. Sure enough, he saw the worry in Wen Zhi's eyes deepen.
He couldn't help but sigh, realizing that people who are fathers are indeed more easily swayed by emotions.
Wen Zhi's gaze lingered on Song Juelan's broad shoulders for a moment, but she still couldn't bring herself to turn around and leave immediately.
He remembered the last time he sprained his ankle, Song Juelan not only took him home, but also stayed at his house to take care of him for a night.
Song Juelan in front of him had slightly drooping eyebrows and eyes, and his aura seemed to have weakened.
This person is very young, lives alone, has no one to take care of them, and is now injured.
So pitiful.
Overwhelmed with sympathy, Wen Zhi asked, "If you're having trouble doing something, do you need my help?"
Song Juelan was clearly taken aback for a moment, meeting those clear, bright eyes filled with sincerity.
On the other side, Zhu Zhenghao was giving him a thumbs up, his face full of smug satisfaction at his successful scheme.
Song Juelan was torn between not wanting to cause Wen Zhi trouble and wanting to spend more time with her.
In the end, he couldn't resist the temptation and slowly nodded.
Wen Zhi had nothing else to do today, so she immediately decided to take Xiao Tang to Song Juelan's house to help Song Juelan, who had difficulty moving around.
Song Juelan went to the dressing room to change clothes first. On the way to the dressing room, her steps still felt like she was walking on clouds, somewhat unreal.
As he turned to close the locker room door, he noticed a figure behind him, silently following him.
Song Juelan's pupils contracted slightly, and he didn't react for a moment.
Wen Zhi stood not far behind him, her beautiful eyes looking at him innocently: "I was worried that it would be inconvenient for you to put on your clothes with only one hand."
Zhu Zhenghao did just say that Song Juelan's arm hurt so much that she couldn't lift it, so she couldn't dress herself.
There were only the two of them in the not-so-spacious staff changing room. The shower in one of the cubicles was not turned off properly, and water dripped continuously onto the floor, making a regular "drip-drip" sound.
Apart from the sound of water, all that could be heard was the soft, intermittent breathing of the two people.
Song Juelan clenched and unclenched her hands at her sides, and said in a low voice, "I'll go take a shower first."
Wen Zhi replied "Okay" and stood at the door of the changing room waiting for him.
Stepping into the cubicle, Song Juelan absentmindedly took off her swim trunks with one hand, turned on the shower, and let the warm water wash over her entire body.
After a quick rinse, he dried himself off with a towel, put on his pants, and his gaze fell on the black T-shirt on the hanger.
Wen Zhi waited outside for a while, and then saw the curtain of the cubicle be pulled open, and a tall figure with water vapor came out, holding a piece of clothing in his hand.
"Can't you wear it?" he asked with concern.
Song Juelan nodded silently.
Wen Zhi stepped forward, took the T-shirt from his hand, gestured for him to lower his head, slightly tiptoed, and pulled the T-shirt off his head. Then she gently lifted his right hand and tucked it into his sleeve.
His movements were a bit stiff and clumsy, as if he didn't take care of people often, but he managed to put it on.
Song Juelan guessed that Wen Zhi's movements were a bit clumsy because he was much taller than Xiao Tang.
After changing her clothes, Wen Zhi took Xiao Tang and followed Song Juelan home.
On the way, Xiao Tang looked up at Song Jue Lan with a worried expression: "Brother Jue Lan's hand is broken, can he still swim?"
Wen Zhi explained to him, "It's not broken, it's just injured. You can swim again once it heals."
Xiao Tang nodded as if she understood but not quite.
In fact, Wen Zhi was also a little worried about this issue. Song Juelan was so excellent at swimming, so if he suffered any aftereffects on his shoulder, it would definitely have a big impact.
This is one of the reasons why he decided to come and take care of Song Juelan.
They bought dinner at a restaurant near the swimming pool and walked for about ten minutes to reach the entrance of an upscale residential area.
"You live here?" Wen Zhi's face showed surprise.
He remembered that the housing prices here were not cheap, and it didn't seem like a place a student who needed to work could afford.
Song Juelan gave a soft "hmm".
Wen Zhi didn't ask any further questions. Since Song Juelan didn't live with his parents, he was probably staying with relatives or friends.
However... this place doesn't seem to be far from his home?
Remembering the last time he let Song Juelan stay at his house, and Song Juelan didn't explain, a strange feeling swept through his heart.
Could it be that Song Juelan stayed not because she lived far away, but simply to take care of him?
As they stepped out of the elevator, they stopped in front of a dark gray door.
The stairwell, with its one apartment per floor, was quiet. Xiao Tang opened her round eyes and looked around curiously.
Song Juelan used his left hand to unlock the fingerprint lock. After a soft "beep," he pushed the door open and turned to let the two of them go in first.
Wen Zhi led Xiao Tang inside. The living room was simply furnished, with only essential furniture and appliances; there were no other decorations. Several dumbbells lay on the floor, as if they had just been used and hadn't been put away yet.
Compared to the style of his home, this place was clearly the home of a single man, as if you were enveloped by Song Juelan's aura the moment you stepped inside.
The door closed behind her with a soft "click" as it locked, and Wen Zhi's back stiffened slightly for no apparent reason.
"Zhizhi, let's eat!" Xiaotang was a little curious about the unfamiliar environment, but her hunger quickly replaced her curiosity. She stared longingly at the lunchbox that Wenzhi was carrying.
Wen Zhi then came to her senses, responded, walked into the dining room, took the food out of the bag, and placed it on the table.
The three sat down at the dining table. Wen Zhi first got a spoon for Xiao Tang, and then got a pair of chopsticks for Song Jue Lan, placing them on his rice bowl.
"Thank you." Song Juelan picked up the chopsticks with her left hand, her movements a little clumsy.
Seeing this, Wen Zhi got him a spoon and helped him put all the food into his bowl.
Taking care of two people inevitably leads to oversights. Xiao Tang waited for a long time but Wen Zhi didn't serve him any food, so he had to take matters into his own hands and use a small spoon to scoop some food from the steamed sea bass.
When Wen Zhi discovered it, the fish was completely unrecognizable, its flesh shredded beyond recognition.
He quickly stopped Xiao Tang's behavior, fearing that Xiao Tang would continue to cause trouble, so he could only pick up Xiao Tang's bowl and feed him bite by bite.
Song Juelan quickly emptied his bowl of food, then looked up and saw Wen Zhi, who was focused on feeding Xiao Tang. He unconsciously poked at the food in his bowl with his spoon.
He can't argue with a three-year-old.
After dinner, Wen Zhi put all the dishes in the dishwasher and cleaned the table, while Song Juelan was forced to rest on the sofa.
When he walked into the living room, he saw Xiaotang practicing yoga on the mat, while Song Juelan sat on the sofa watching.
Seeing him come out, Song Juelan's gaze instantly shifted to him, lingering for a few seconds before looking away, as if casually asking, "What is Xiaotang doing?"
Wen Zhi sat down on the sofa and replied, "He's practicing Taekwondo moves; he'll be sparring with someone in a few days."
Song Juelan was slightly taken aback, not expecting that Xiao Tang was still taking Taekwondo classes.
I wonder what that taekwondo coach looks like, and whether he's Wen Zhi's type.
He suppressed this absurd thought and silently watched as Xiao Tang waved her short arms and kicked out another powerless kick.
"Do you need to put medicine on the injury on your shoulder?" Wen Zhi looked at it for a while, then shifted her attention to Song Juelan.
Song Juelan's thoughts returned: "No need, just apply a plaster."
"Let me put it on for you." Wen Zhi stood up, asked him where the plaster was, and then took it from him.
Song Juelan sat on the sofa with her back to him, grabbed the hem of her shirt with one hand and pulled it up, taking off her shirt. What came into view was a clearly defined, undulating back muscle and distinctly sunken shoulder blades.
Wen Zhi looked at Song Juelan's right shoulder. There was nothing unusual there. Because of the darker skin tone, even the redness and swelling were not visible.
"Is this the place?" Wen Zhi raised her hand and gently pressed on it.
The muscles beneath his palms tensed slightly, and Song Juelan's deep voice came from the front: "Hmm."
Wen Zhi tore open the medicinal plaster in her hand and carefully applied it to the injured area, her cool fingertips inadvertently brushing against the burning skin.
Before he could finish saying those two words, Song Juelan suddenly turned his head without warning.
His face was still close to Song Juelan's shoulder. When he turned around, their noses almost collided, and they could clearly feel each other's breath.
Wen Zhi paused, staring blankly into those dark eyes so close to hers.
Immediately afterwards, I saw those dark eyes flicker slightly, and their burning gaze, as if it were tangible, moved down inch by inch, sweeping over the bridge of my nose, and finally landing on one spot.
Where is he looking?
If the two were far apart, he would think Song Juelan was staring at his face, but now, they were so close that he could count each other's eyelashes and clearly see that the gaze was drooping.
It seems... they are staring intently at his mouth.
Wen Zhi felt as if she were being stared at by some extremely aggressive and dangerous creature. She subconsciously pursed her lips before finding her voice: "Jue Lan?"
Song Juelan seemed to snap out of her daze and quickly looked away: "Thank you."
Wen Zhi moved away uncomfortably to the side, instinctively keeping her distance from the person.
It was still early, so after Xiaotang finished practicing her Taekwondo moves, she climbed onto the sofa using both her hands and feet and snuggled up next to Wenzhi to watch cartoons.
Wen Zhi watched the TV absentmindedly, the scene from just now still replaying in her mind.
Why are you staring at his mouth?
Is his mouth shaped strangely?
He couldn't resist and picked up his phone to bother his well-informed childhood friend.
Wen Zhi: [I have a question for you. What does it mean when someone stares at your mouth?]
His phone vibrated quickly, but instead of answering his question directly, the other person asked him another question.
Yao Yao: [Who's staring at your mouth?]
Wen Zhi had mentioned Song Juelan to him before, so without much thought, she briefly recounted what had happened today.
This time, the other party didn't reply for a long time, and the top of the chat box kept displaying "The other party is typing".
Wen Zhi got a little bored while waiting, so she casually opened the dormitory group chat and joined her roommates' meaningless chatter, rambling on and on with them.
At the other end of the sofa, Song Juelan's gaze remained fixed on the person beside her.
Seeing Wen Zhi with her head down, her fingers flying across the screen, seemingly chatting with someone, she didn't look up at me for a long time.
He pursed his lips tightly, got up, and left the living room.
Over there, Wen Zhi finally received a reply from her childhood friend.
That reply seemed to carry a hint of disappointment and frustration.
Yao Yao: [You mean, he's made it so obvious, and you still went and offered yourself up???]
Wen Zhi stared at the words "voluntarily offered herself up," her brows furrowing slightly, somewhat puzzled.
What does it mean to offer oneself up voluntarily? He made it sound like cattle and sheep waiting to be slaughtered.
Just then, a sound came from the bathroom, like something had fallen to the floor.
Wen Zhi didn't have time to reply to the message. She immediately got up and went to the bathroom, hurriedly pushing open the half-closed door.
"Are you alright..." His voice trailed off.
Song Juelan stood under the shower, having already taken off his clothes. His well-defined knuckles were on the last piece of fabric on his waistband, which he had already pulled down halfway.
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Author's Note: Thank you to the little angels who watered my nutrient solution!
30 bottles of "Can't think of a name"; 29 bottles of "Wei Ran"; 20 bottles of "Qing Yue Bai"; 10 bottles of "Xie Lan", "September Storyteller", "Jiu Niang", "Jiu Yao Shi Hei", and "Sweet Wine"; 4 bottles of "Jiang Qian"; 5 bottles of "Mao Bu Mao Mao", "Zhi Ma", and "Huang Qi"; 2 bottles of "Gu Xize"; 2 bottles of "Mo Ce De Wen Hao", "Durian Su He Hong Tang Bing", "Wen Wei Yan", "Su Ye Zi", "Bu Xiang Shan Ban", "Qiu Zhi", "Ji Yu", "Ken Ken Ken", "Ji Kang", "Pikachu Shi Wan Volt", "Sui Sui Nian Nian Ya", "Qing Si", "Qi Si Li De Xiao Gou", and "Xiao Ju Hao". 1 bottle of "Yu Ke", "Wen Rou Ji Liang", and "Jiang Ya".
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